21 novembro 2002

CONTAMINANTES
The Prestige oil spill: Almighty mess, almighty row
A massive tanker has sunk off the coast of Spain, sending millions of gallons of heavy fuel oil into the sea and igniting a political row between Britain and Spain. It will not be easy to pin down who is to blame
Oil spill prompts renewed calls for crackdown on aging freighters: They're derided as ''environmental timebombs'' and ''floating garbage dumps.'' Yet more than half the world's 10,000 oil tankers are the old-style, single-hulled variety despite outcries after every disastrous spill, from the 1989 Exxon Valdez in pristine Alaska to this week's sinking of the Prestige off the verdant coast of Spain.
A U.N. treaty banning single-hulled tankers entered into force this year but the phase-in period stretches to 2015.
Until then, European Union officials say their efforts to impose stricter inspections are being subverted by shipowners who steer clear of EU harbors or avoid dropping anchor when they refuel or pick up supplies. Yet oil they spill can wash ashore anyway as the cleanup crews scooping sludge from Spanish beaches Wednesday can attest.